Triumph for the Springboks, as the Rugby Championship match hosts beat out the All Blacks.
South Africa won the Ellis Park clash 31-27, despite the All Blacks holding a 10-point lead at the start of the match.
Journalist Mark Keohane joined Piney to unpack his personal highlight of the match.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB popped up again.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Picking go to spring Doot driving South Africa.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Close the game, Henday Poga sweat.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
That was the try that brought it back to what
twenty seven twenty four was it? Then the spring Box
went on to win thirty one twenty seven, a third
straight win for South Africa over the All Blacks. That's
the first time that's happened since two thousand and nine.
Let's bring in hugely experienced South African rugby journalist, columnist,
analyst and broadcaster Mark Keohane. Mark, thanks for joining us
(00:44):
across New Zealand with a few hours to reflect on
the game at Alice Park.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
What stands out the most for you?
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Just there was just such a tribute to the rivalry
between the two teams. It was an incredible test match
and poignantly at Ellis Park, where the two teams have
played eight times since ninety ninety six. The every score
is thirty one to thirty point eight for the All Blacks.
I thought at one stage at thirty one twenty seven,
oh my god, it's going to end thirty two twenty
(01:12):
one we're going to get that one point again. And
it was just it was twelve eleven at halftime to
the All Blacks. It was It's the kind of World
Cup Final of last year reversed. There's just such incredible
reverence and respect for the All Blacks in this country
and in the rivalry.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
And this is an all Black team. That's that's maturing.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
It's in its first year with Scott Robertson. It's a
very settled Springbok team. But my goodness, one occasion, I'm
going to have to watch the Test match several times
a week. I could probably give you an informed opinion
of the Test match from a South Afrikan perspective. We
got the result is it's great that we get to
go again in Cape Town in a week's time.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
But everyone spoke about this is the World Cup.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Final revisitor and my goodness, did they not produce something
quite spectacular again?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, what a titanic Test match for sure. How much
did the yellow card for New Zealand later on open
the door mark do you reckon for the spring Box
to come back? They were teen points down with twelve
minutes to play at that point and then just rolled
over the top. How important was the new miracle advantage.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
Yeah, look, I think that there's two.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I've been looking on social media obviously after reports, and
there's been a few things.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
I mean, I don't think Bonkis try was a try,
but I also.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Don't think New Zealand's first trade was a try technically,
but nothing was revisited.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
But that was in the first ten minutes of the Test.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So you don't lose a Test match in the first
ten minutes, you lose it in the last ten minutes.
The big thing for me was that twenty seven to seventeen,
the momentum was with New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
This is altitude, this is Test rugby.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
You scored your four tries, they get a penalty to
go thirty seventeen up and they don't take it, and.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
It was pretty much a gimmy and they kept.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
For the corner and they got turned over so that
feet clear by thirty thirty meters within a minute they
got yellow carded, so that gets back into the game
of scores twenty seven to twenty four and we've got
a hum dinner for the last ten minutes, and that
to me was the pivotal moment at like I think
sixty three sixty four minutes thirty seventeen. I don't know
if so that we would have come back. It's that
psychological too converted tries. But for New Zealand to kick
(03:05):
to the on it for what you know, they may
have felt they had momentum or whatever. But Test match
rugby in sol Africa, when you've got the box twenty
seven to seven and you can go thirty seventeen, you
take three points.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
And I was perplexed by that decision.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
I think maybe that's going to be one of Scott
Robinson's big learnings in terms of Test match rugby as
a person of supermatch rugby.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Indeed, No, it's a great point you make, and I
think there's a few heads being scratched over the side
of the world as well about that very decision. How important, Marke,
do you think the impact of South Africa's bench was?
Speaker 5 (03:36):
Look, No, it was always going to be.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
I mean all the previous we did this week, we
looked at the two starting fifteens and you said, there's
very little choose between them.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
You looked at it at the wall cup, very little
chooth behind them.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
But then you looked at the bench and you just thought,
come the last twenty minutes, they effectively put on a
starting They've put on a starting pack and New Zealand
currently just doesn't have that depth and that was fundamental
to the outcome of this Test match.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
I just think the quality of the New Zealand performance was.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
That up until that seventieth minute, they were they were
in the contest, they were effectively leading the content and
they had played that well. I haven't seen the New
Zealand team come to Ellis Park and play with such
presence and such composure and such energy and intelligence as
this one did in the first forty minutes. But I
always doubted when it got to seventy minutes whether they
(04:21):
would have the cattle to come off the bench. And
I think that's going to be his biggest test is
building that squad depth. But I thought their performance was
I think it's the best performance I've seen under Scott
Robinson this season. They look clear, they look functional, there
was clarity. I thought the pack was outstanding. I'm not
convinced it's the best back line he's got going there.
(04:42):
You know, there's you know, whether it's body should start
at ten and there should be a different midfield and.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
They should different be be a different back three.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
But I just thought the pack front had superbly in
the most incredible conditions.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I mean, sixty two thousand people.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Nutters at Ellis Park, there's fervor of the spring Box
the plane flying over again, and it really reminded me
that I was there ninety five.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
It reminded me so much for that. And it's a
credit to this All Black side that they were.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
They were in the contest, but I just felt one
or two big decisions and that comes from a side
that centlement's been together for six years and a side
that's in its first season. But there's not a hell
of a lot between the two teams, and I can
tell you know when so that forgets.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
News in the next they're gonna have to play very
well to win.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, that's great analysis.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
It really is about the settled nature of the South
African side. I saw Victor Mattfield on Super Sports coverage
afterwards say this is the best spring Box team we
have ever seen.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Do you agree with that?
Speaker 5 (05:36):
Not at all. I think the twenty and nineteen would
whip them. Okay, the two.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Thousand and nine team that beat the All Blacks They've
been a very special All.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
Black side, and you know they played against some very
special or back sides.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Everything is relative to and he was part of that
magnificent two thousand and seven World Cup winning side two
thousand and nine that beat the All Blacks three times
in succession, beat the British and Irish lines and you know,
but for the odd.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Decision in twenty eleven, I've got to walk in for
that semi final.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
But no, look, everything is you know, like you know
what they say, he's out of side, out of mind.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
I still believe that two thousand and nine walk upside and.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
The mighty Richie McCaw one hundred and forty eight tests,
fifteen defeats. He says, the team he's played against and
what's the greatest was that that's we what team of
two thousand and nine. So I acknowledge what this team
has done and they've had wonderful wins. But if I
look at the quality of that two thousand nine side,
if I stuck them on the field against this side,
I'm back in the two thousand.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
And nine side.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
And just a word on Tony Brown, who of course
is now part of the South African coaching setup.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Can you see his imprint on this side, Mark?
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I can, and there's people who are raving about it,
and there's people are saying, what the hell's he doing.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
He's trying to make us play like New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
So there's definitely been an evolution of the side at
the moment. And I think also, I think he's had
a big say in the young first five sash of
Feinberg Gomezzoulu, who I've watched play since he was fifteen
sixteen at Bishops in Cape Town. He's just a wonderfully
natural talent. He's the closest I've ever seen to a
Dan Carter type ten in just how naturally he is
(07:06):
going to make mistakes, but he actually owns the game.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
And I see this wonderful kind of evolution.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Of him and this this mentor andship of hundred Pollard
with him. So they've got a gam in that. And
I looked when I looked at today's Test match as well,
it was one of those where so he's come through,
Fussy did well today, these individuals that have come through.
But I looked at that New Zealand side, I thought
Scott Robinson would go away and say they pack did
particularly well.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Certain people did well, but he knows Richie Wonga has
got to come back. That's his tenth.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
You know, if you had a Brody Retallic and a
Shannon for Azell in that pack, what a difference. So
the big discussion in South Africa is you've got three
of the best players in the world and they're playing
off Shawn, you don't pick them.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
We did that and we were seventh in the world.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
We then started picking off short players and we became
world champions two times.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
In a row and we number one in the world.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
So it's when New Zealand starts picking the best twenty
three available.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
I don't know, it's going to be a very different ballgame.
At the moment.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
You've opened up that can of worms for Alistair's Mirke.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Another chapter in the storied history between these two sides.
Really appreciate you joining us to break it down across
New Zealand today.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
All right, thanks mate, and then to all New Zealanders
just what you know, what a performance from your team
and we've been on the receiving none of.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Those close ones. But the tide is going to turn
pretty quickly.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I can tell you that now this side's coming and
the serving side is going to be on read alert.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Good on you, Mike, I appreciate your time again. Mike
keohein South African journalist, commentator, analyst, astute observer of the game.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB popped up again.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Picking go to spring Doot driving South Africa.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Close the game, Henday Poga sweat.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
That was the try that brought it back to what
twenty seven twenty four was it? Then the spring Box
went on to win thirty one twenty seven, a third
straight win for South Africa over the All Blacks. That's
the first time that's happened since two thousand and nine.
Let's bring in hugely experienced South African rugby journalist, columnist,
analyst and broadcaster Mark Keohane. Mark, thanks for joining us
(00:44):
across New Zealand with a few hours to reflect on
the game at Alice Park.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
What stands out the most for you?
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Just there was just such a tribute to the rivalry
between the two teams. It was an incredible test match
and poignantly at Ellis Park, where the two teams have
played eight times since ninety ninety six. The every score
is thirty one to thirty point eight for the All Blacks.
I thought at one stage at thirty one twenty seven,
oh my god, it's going to end thirty two twenty
(01:12):
one we're going to get that one point again. And
it was just it was twelve eleven at halftime to
the All Blacks. It was It's the kind of World
Cup Final of last year reversed. There's just such incredible
reverence and respect for the All Blacks in this country
and in the rivalry.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
And this is an all Black team. That's that's maturing.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
It's in its first year with Scott Robertson. It's a
very settled Springbok team. But my goodness, one occasion, I'm
going to have to watch the Test match several times
a week. I could probably give you an informed opinion
of the Test match from a South Afrikan perspective. We
got the result is it's great that we get to
go again in Cape Town in a week's time.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
But everyone spoke about this is the World Cup.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Final revisitor and my goodness, did they not produce something
quite spectacular again?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, what a titanic Test match for sure. How much
did the yellow card for New Zealand later on open
the door mark do you reckon for the spring Box
to come back? They were teen points down with twelve
minutes to play at that point and then just rolled
over the top. How important was the new miracle advantage.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
Yeah, look, I think that there's two.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I've been looking on social media obviously after reports, and
there's been a few things.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
I mean, I don't think Bonkis try was a try,
but I also.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Don't think New Zealand's first trade was a try technically,
but nothing was revisited.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
But that was in the first ten minutes of the Test.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So you don't lose a Test match in the first
ten minutes, you lose it in the last ten minutes.
The big thing for me was that twenty seven to seventeen,
the momentum was with New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
This is altitude, this is Test rugby.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
You scored your four tries, they get a penalty to
go thirty seventeen up and they don't take it, and.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
It was pretty much a gimmy and they kept.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
For the corner and they got turned over so that
feet clear by thirty thirty meters within a minute they
got yellow carded, so that gets back into the game
of scores twenty seven to twenty four and we've got
a hum dinner for the last ten minutes, and that
to me was the pivotal moment at like I think
sixty three sixty four minutes thirty seventeen. I don't know
if so that we would have come back. It's that
psychological too converted tries. But for New Zealand to kick
(03:05):
to the on it for what you know, they may
have felt they had momentum or whatever. But Test match
rugby in sol Africa, when you've got the box twenty
seven to seven and you can go thirty seventeen, you
take three points.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
And I was perplexed by that decision.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
I think maybe that's going to be one of Scott
Robinson's big learnings in terms of Test match rugby as
a person of supermatch rugby.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Indeed, No, it's a great point you make, and I
think there's a few heads being scratched over the side
of the world as well about that very decision. How important, Marke,
do you think the impact of South Africa's bench was?
Speaker 5 (03:36):
Look, No, it was always going to be.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
I mean all the previous we did this week, we
looked at the two starting fifteens and you said, there's
very little choose between them.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
You looked at it at the wall cup, very little
chooth behind them.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
But then you looked at the bench and you just thought,
come the last twenty minutes, they effectively put on a
starting They've put on a starting pack and New Zealand
currently just doesn't have that depth and that was fundamental
to the outcome of this Test match.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
I just think the quality of the New Zealand performance was.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
That up until that seventieth minute, they were they were
in the contest, they were effectively leading the content and
they had played that well. I haven't seen the New
Zealand team come to Ellis Park and play with such
presence and such composure and such energy and intelligence as
this one did in the first forty minutes. But I
always doubted when it got to seventy minutes whether they
(04:21):
would have the cattle to come off the bench. And
I think that's going to be his biggest test is
building that squad depth. But I thought their performance was
I think it's the best performance I've seen under Scott
Robinson this season. They look clear, they look functional, there
was clarity. I thought the pack was outstanding. I'm not
convinced it's the best back line he's got going there.
(04:42):
You know, there's you know, whether it's body should start
at ten and there should be a different midfield and.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
They should different be be a different back three.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
But I just thought the pack front had superbly in
the most incredible conditions.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I mean, sixty two thousand people.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Nutters at Ellis Park, there's fervor of the spring Box
the plane flying over again, and it really reminded me
that I was there ninety five.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
It reminded me so much for that. And it's a
credit to this All Black side that they were.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
They were in the contest, but I just felt one
or two big decisions and that comes from a side
that centlement's been together for six years and a side
that's in its first season. But there's not a hell
of a lot between the two teams, and I can
tell you know when so that forgets.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
News in the next they're gonna have to play very
well to win.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, that's great analysis.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
It really is about the settled nature of the South
African side. I saw Victor Mattfield on Super Sports coverage
afterwards say this is the best spring Box team we
have ever seen.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Do you agree with that?
Speaker 5 (05:36):
Not at all. I think the twenty and nineteen would
whip them. Okay, the two.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Thousand and nine team that beat the All Blacks They've
been a very special All.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
Black side, and you know they played against some very
special or back sides.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Everything is relative to and he was part of that
magnificent two thousand and seven World Cup winning side two
thousand and nine that beat the All Blacks three times
in succession, beat the British and Irish lines and you know,
but for the odd.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Decision in twenty eleven, I've got to walk in for
that semi final.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
But no, look, everything is you know, like you know
what they say, he's out of side, out of mind.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
I still believe that two thousand and nine walk upside and.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
The mighty Richie McCaw one hundred and forty eight tests,
fifteen defeats. He says, the team he's played against and
what's the greatest was that that's we what team of
two thousand and nine. So I acknowledge what this team
has done and they've had wonderful wins. But if I
look at the quality of that two thousand nine side,
if I stuck them on the field against this side,
I'm back in the two thousand.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
And nine side.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
And just a word on Tony Brown, who of course
is now part of the South African coaching setup.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Can you see his imprint on this side, Mark?
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I can, and there's people who are raving about it,
and there's people are saying, what the hell's he doing.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
He's trying to make us play like New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
So there's definitely been an evolution of the side at
the moment. And I think also, I think he's had
a big say in the young first five sash of
Feinberg Gomezzoulu, who I've watched play since he was fifteen
sixteen at Bishops in Cape Town. He's just a wonderfully
natural talent. He's the closest I've ever seen to a
Dan Carter type ten in just how naturally he is
(07:06):
going to make mistakes, but he actually owns the game.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
And I see this wonderful kind of evolution.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Of him and this this mentor andship of hundred Pollard
with him. So they've got a gam in that. And
I looked when I looked at today's Test match as well,
it was one of those where so he's come through,
Fussy did well today, these individuals that have come through.
But I looked at that New Zealand side, I thought
Scott Robinson would go away and say they pack did
particularly well.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Certain people did well, but he knows Richie Wonga has
got to come back. That's his tenth.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
You know, if you had a Brody Retallic and a
Shannon for Azell in that pack, what a difference. So
the big discussion in South Africa is you've got three
of the best players in the world and they're playing
off Shawn, you don't pick them.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
We did that and we were seventh in the world.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
We then started picking off short players and we became
world champions two times.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
In a row and we number one in the world.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
So it's when New Zealand starts picking the best twenty
three available.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
I don't know, it's going to be a very different ballgame.
At the moment.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
You've opened up that can of worms for Alistair's Mirke.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Another chapter in the storied history between these two sides.
Really appreciate you joining us to break it down across
New Zealand today.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
All right, thanks mate, and then to all New Zealanders
just what you know, what a performance from your team
and we've been on the receiving none of.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Those close ones. But the tide is going to turn
pretty quickly.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I can tell you that now this side's coming and
the serving side is going to be on read alert.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Good on you, Mike, I appreciate your time again. Mike
keohein South African journalist, commentator, analyst, astute observer of the game.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.